The use of technology is becoming more and more prevalent in our classrooms. However, the struggle is always finding out what is out there and how do we implement it effectively? This blog is to share my experience as I continue to grow as an educator and use technology in the classroom.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Lovin' Summer in Indiana

I would say by now most teachers around the country are officially on summer break and those that are not, it's quickly approaching.

Here in Indiana, I am working on my third week of summer break! We were fortunate this year not to have any makeup days added to our calendar. (However, the downside of that is we go back August 1st.)

As a teacher myself, summer break is probably like many others. It's a time to rest, refresh, and recharge. There is a little more sleeping in, reading books, being outside, going on vacations, and spending time with family and friends.

While all that is great, the one thing that I have also enjoyed about being an educator and living in Indiana is the Summer of eLearning Conferences sponsored by the Indiana DOE.

These conferences are held all over the state at local schools. It is an initiative that is in its sixth year. The schools that host them have received grants to help cover many costs of putting on the conference which allows them to bring in some of the best and top notch keynote speakers & presenters from all around the country. On top of that, the grants also help reduce registration costs. The highest I've seen is $30-$40 for a two-day conference. And whatever cost it may be, in my experiences, it has always included a small breakfast during registration time (donuts, fruit, coffee, etc) and lunch. If you are not sold yet, local teachers sign up to present sessions on topics they are passionate about and experts on. Definitely, a huge bang for your bucks in my opinion.Don't believe me? Just check out this year's conference list. I am sure you will probably find one nearby that is intriguing to you. All this happens to better equip educators on the uses of technology in the classroom and other areas to make our teaching better for students.This year's conferences have already begun. I was able to attend PowerED Up at Perry Central for two days where I heard keynotes and from Matt Miller and Eric Sheninger and attended a session to experience my first BreakoutEDU. I went to the second day of Making a Splash in Digital Learning at Batesville High School where I presented sessions on Creating and Teaching with HyperDocs and enjoyed a keynote and a session by John Spencer. Check out some of my highlights in the embedded Slides below!And I'm not done yet! On June 22nd, I'm attending the SuiteLife Conference at Washington High School where Kasey Bell will be keynoting. While there, I will be presenting HyperDocs again along with FlipGrid too. I'd like to encourage any educator in Indiana or surrounding states (Yep, you don't have to be a from Indiana!) to take the time and attend one of these conferences. I guarantee it will be worth your time and investment. Have you attended one Summer of eLearning conferences? Would love to hear what your experience has been like. Leave a comment below or connect with me on Twitter, @SEANJFAHEY.

Finally, thanks to all that put in the work hosting these conferences all over our state! Enjoy your summer everyone!